Final answer:
The Babylonians expanded their empire primarily through military conquest, which included the capture and deportation of Judeans. While ancient empires in Mesopotamia did practice cultural assimilation, the Persians, not the Babylonians, allowed conquered peoples to retain their cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerning how the Babylonians replaced Samaritans can be answered through a historical context. The Babylonians did not replace Samaritans per se; the term Samaritans is often associated with an ethnoreligious group of the Levant, typically not directly related to the territory of the Babylonians. The confusion may arise from the historical interactions involving Babylonians and the Judeans during the Neo-Babylonian empire's reign. The Neo-Babylonians, under leaders such as Nebuchadnezzar II, used military conquest to expand their empire, which led to the capture and deportation of the Judeans to Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem.
This process was part of a broader pattern where ancient city-states and empires expanded their territories through various methods, clearly seen throughout Mesopotamian history. For example, the Amorites adopted existing religious traditions and language, thereby assimilating culturally into the region. Conversely, the Persians, who conquered the Neo-Babylonian empire, allowed their subjects to retain their cultural practices, including the Judeans who were permitted to return to Judah and rebuild their temple. This approach by the Persians indicates an example of political treaties and leniency shaping imperial control rather than cultural eradication or assimilation.
To directly answer the question: The Babylonians expanded their control primarily through military conquest (Option B), and they did assimilate some cultures, but this was not the specific method by which they interacted with Samaritans. Historical records such as the return of the Jews after the Persian conquest show that the changes in control and cultural influence in the region were complex and varied over time.